Volunteer research assistant opportunities at the ELTE Stress & Emotions Lab

The ELTE Stress and Emotions Lab is seeking volunteer research assistants to join our team of enthusiastic researchers and students.

The ELTE Stress and Emotions Lab is seeking volunteer research assistants to join our team of enthusiastic researchers and students. Our lab explores the links between heightened physiological states, such as acute physiological stress, and human behavior, cognition, perception, and emotions. We use experimental methods to investigate the effects of physiological arousal in the laboratory and in everyday life. Our research aims to contribute to a better understanding of the embodiment of the human mind and the development of models of consciousness.

Our lab’s research projects include:

• Investigating the effects of stress on cognitive functions.
• Examining the relationship between emotions and physiological responses.
• Exploring the impact of stress and emotions on decision-making.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of stress-reduction techniques.

Activities

As a research assistant, you will have the opportunity to participate in various aspects of research and other academic activities:

• Assisting in research design and pre-registration of studies.
• Collecting and analyzing data.
• Coding experiments and designing analysis plans.
• Conducting literature searches and reviews.
• Contributing to scholarly communication through presentations and writing.
• Attending lab meetings and contributing to discussions.
• Participating in TDK student competitions (optional).

Benefits

• Involvement in state-of-the-art scientific research in psychological science.
• Gaining experiences useful in furthering your academic career.
• Potential authorship in resulting publications based on significant contributions.
• Being part of a friendly, active, and inspiring community with social and scientific activities.
• Support from lab members and resources for your own research projects and career development.

Requirements

We are looking for candidates who:

• Are bachelor’s-level students in the ELTE Psychology program.
• Are considering pursuing an academic or research-oriented career.
• Can devote at least 6–8 hours per week to lab activities.
• Have good English-language skills.
• Are motivated, curious, and open to learning unfamiliar methods, tools, and research practices.
• Are willing to learn R programming and develop working proficiency within one year of joining the lab. Previous programming experience is an advantage but not a requirement.
• Are prepared to become increasingly independent in their work: planning and completing agreed tasks, meeting deadlines, and communicating their progress without requiring continuous prompting.
• Take a proactive approach by identifying possible next steps, asking questions, seeking solutions when they encounter problems, and suggesting ideas where appropriate.
• Are receptive to feedback and willing to continuously improve their data analysis, academic writing, and public speaking skills.
• Are willing to undertake administrative and organizational tasks when needed.
• Can carry out repetitive or monotonous tasks without losing motivation, precision, or attention to detail.

New members receive guidance and support during onboarding. However, we expect research assistants to gradually take ownership of their work and become capable of completing clearly defined research tasks independently. By the end of their first year, members should be able to use R for basic data management, visualization, and reproducible data analysis.

Diversity and inclusion

Our lab supports diversity in academia and encourages applications from everyone who fits the criteria, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, family status, disabilities, or religious beliefs.

How to apply

Send a CV (1-2 pages) and a short motivation letter (max 1 page) detailing your interest in participating in research activities, why you are a good fit for the position and the team, and what you would like to gain from joining the lab to stress.and.emotions.lab@gmail.com.

For more information about how we work in the lab, please see the ELTE Stress and Emotions Lab Onboarding Slide Deck and our webpage.